There are a variety of conditions that require injection of fluids into, or withdrawing fluids from, parts of a body below the surface of the skin of the body. It is common to use an implanted catheter to repeatedly access the vascular system of a patient. A flexible guidewire placed in the vascular system can be used to facilitate placement of the catheter, but its use can prevent capping the catheter to prevent fluid loss from or air entering the vascular system during placement. After catheter placement, it is common to attach a valved cap to the catheter connector(s) to prevent fluid loss from or air entering the catheter and vascular system.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,575,960 (Bleed Back Control Assembly and Method) relates to a Y-valved connector. The ‘Y-connector’ includes a sealing valve that is normally closed except when accessed with a small diameter tube or wire. The sealing valve does not completely prevent air or fluid leakage, but relies on a second user compressible valve to provide a complete seal.
In short, there are several problems with the current valves. The flow path through the valve is restricted due to a restricted cross-sectional area. There is a dead space above or below the valve where blood accumulates, which makes it difficult to clean the valve. The current valves are not designed for use with a guidewire traversing through the same valve. Also, the valves cannot be accessed multiple times; they are typically screwed on to the catheter and discarded after use. Therefore, there is a need for a valved connector that solves the above-mentioned problems and thereby reduces the risk of contamination and permits repeated use of the valved connector.